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Sunday, 31 May 2015

It's already June, I'm not quite sure how the heck it's already June, but it is. *Holds back cursing because this is a PG rated blog*. ARGH!

In light of the situation, May was a really great month for me. I went to Tasmania, adopted a new dog, continued volunteering at the RSPCA, did a lot of babysitting, saw a lot of friends, celebrated my mother's birthday and much more. Good on you, May!

I hope you enjoy this month's favourites because it's a darn good one if I do say so myself.

1. Clinique 'Take the day off' Cleansing Balm
This cleanser comes in one of my favourite colours; purple, doesn't break me out, takes off every ounce of my makeup in one go (although I always do a second cleanse anyway), is perfect for my sensitive skin as it doesn't cause any irritation or redness and makes my face unbelievably smooth. Totally in love and would highly recommend.2. MAC Eyeliner in 'Teddy'
This eyeliner is a godsend. It's brown/bronze with gorgeous golden speckles and is perfect for a messy, smudged out eyeliner look that defines your eyes but isn't as harsh or bold as black eyeliner.3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade
Want instagram perfect brows? Look no further. This stuff, when used in very small amounts, gives all the definition, volume and shape in a brow that you could ever want. Be careful not to overuse though, you don't want to look like a clown (unless of course, that's the look you're going for).4. Soap&Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Extreme Lip Plumper XL in 'Clear'
If you're into lipgloss that is guaranteed to make your lips tingle, a little more plumped and luscious looking, this is a great one to go for. If not, look elsewhere!5. Vaseline Healthy Hand & Nail Hand Cream
Typical Autumn/Winter weather has been causing my hands to shrivel up in a most unflattering way and this hand cream has provided me with all the moisture and nourishment that they need to become normal people hands again. It soaks straight into the skin, smells quite nice and doesn't have that heavy or greasy feeling that a lot of hand creams have (which I really hate).6. App - 'allwomenstalk'
One of my best friends told me about this app and boy, am I thankful I decided to download it! It's a really fun app which provides you with all your procrastinating needs. Just kidding. But really.

....it also has amazing advice on just about everything, such as self-love, fitness, recipes, boy advice and so forth.7. Movie - Bridget Jones's Diary
Another friend got me to watch this movie after she was horrified when I told her I hadn't yet seen it. I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy and this was all that and more. It also has Hugh *cough cough* Grant in it.8. TV Series - Sex and the City
I borrowed this TV series from the library one day and have been obsessed with it ever since. It's just your typical girly, romantic drama and I love it. It's also very funny!9. TV Series - Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Gee, this must have been the month of TV series and movies. If you haven't yet heard of the Kardashians, you're living under a rock and it's time to crawl out of it.

This series won't be everyone's cup of tea but if you like juicy, easy to watch shows, this is a good one.

10. Broccoli
Don't ask why because I have no idea but I can't get enough broccoli lately. I don't know if this means I'm deficient in some sort of vitamin or mineral or if I'm just a new found vegetable addict, because I would go so far as to say I eat broccoli just about every day....yum! It's super tasty with soy sauce.

Thursday, 28 May 2015

You may have noticed there's been a decreasing number of blog posts lately and that is simply because I haven't had a lot to write about. There currently aren't any products I feel are worth talking about and in terms of life, well, it's been pretty uneventful.

I thought it'd be fun to do a 50 facts about me because I personally love reading reading these types of posts and if you leave a comment below giving me a few facts about yourself, we can get to know each other a little better :)

Here goes....

1. What color is your toothbrush?
Pale blue and sparkly. I love it.

2. Name one person who made you smile today:
My baby boy Oscar (he's a dog, don't fret) and my Mum :)3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Enjoying my last few moments of shut eye. Bliss.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Doing the dishes and vacuuming, such fun times I have....

5.What is your favorite candy bar?
I'm not sure I have a favourite. I don't really eat candy bars, just frozen yoghurt ;)6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Indeedy. Living on college can result in doing strange things. Enough said.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"Oscar, what are you chewing?" (he's a puppy and he chews everything he's not supposed to). *Sigh*

8. What is your favorite ice cream?
Cookies and cream but once again, I prefer frozen yoghurt! I have a very unhealthy obsession with fro-yo.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Water. Gotta stay hydrated!

10. Do you like your wallet?
Haha this question is so relevant to me right now. NO, my wallet is a cheap one from a show bag at the Royal Melbourne Show. It rarely closes due to too much coinage and it drives me bananas but I'm too stingy to buy a new one!

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Broccoli with soy sauce. I know it might sound strange but honestly guys, it's the bomb.

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Nope, saving all my moolah for a rainy day.

13. The last sporting event you watched?
I rarely watch sports so I'd probably have to say AFL football because my Brother and Dad watch it all the time. I'm sure to have walked past at one point and seen a few minutes ;)

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Ummm....normal flavour? Just regular popcorn with salt and butter, I'm not a huge fan of sweet popcorn.

15. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
My Mum :)

16. Ever go camping?I used to go camping all the time as a kid but now that I'm older and everyone's lives have sped up a little, I rarely get to go. It's a shame though because camping is one of my favourite things EVER and although I enjoy materialistic things, there's nothing I love more than getting out into nature and just forgetting about all that stuff. 17. Do you take vitamins daily?
Nope, should I be?

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
My Sister got us to go to church when I was little but that didn't really last long. Now I only ever go when I'm staying with my relatives.

19. Do you have a tan?
It's almost Winter and I'm too lazy to put on fake tan so no. I'm going through a phase at the moment where I'm totally into the pale look and just leaving my skin as it is :)

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
No, PIZZA!

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Not always but I do prefer to use a straw, yes. It's better for your teeth too, no? 22. What did your last text message say?
"shall do. Love you too. Mumxo"

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Volunteering at the RSPCA Kennels and babysitting. At least I think I'm babysitting....if not, I'll probably catch up with a friend!

24. Creamy or Crunchy peanut butter? Creamy all the way! 25. Look to your left, what do you see?
My backdoor and my dog's play pen.

26. What color is your watch?
I don't own a watch because I just never enjoy wearing them. I'm more of an earring and ring girl, I don't like wearing bracelets/watches and necklaces that much.

27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? I live in Australia so I think HOME :) 28. White or Wheat bread? White tastes better, wheat makes me feel better. I rarely eat bread though! 29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? This doesn't really apply to me since I never go to drive thru places, so my equivalent would be home delivery or picking up the food. My answer to that would be home delivery all the way! 30. What is your favorite number?I don't have one but I like the numbers 2, 4, 6 and 9. 31. Who did you email last?
The RSPCA dog behaviour team a few days ago.

35. Last song listened to?'Born To Die - Lana Del Rey (Absence Remix)' but I'm also really loving 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This - Paloma Faith'. I only wish I was half as cool as Paloma! 36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?I don't have the dedication to learn, maybe I should make it my next challenge haha. 37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? Never have and probably never will. I find cleaning to be really therapeutic and it just gets my head in the right space. Maybe if I one day become filthy rich and busy, then I might have a cleaner. 38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
My black vans :) Love em'!

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
I wouldn't say jealous but I do wish that I could change some things about myself.

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? Hate is a strong word, dislike maybe, but not hate. 45. Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily?
Probably not that exact word but I definitely use variations of it, if I'm going to be completely anal about this question. Hehe.

46. What color is your car?
I don't own a car. My dream car is a baby blue, convertible Mini Cooper though!

47. What would be the one thing you’d take to a deserted island?
Assuming that I'm all sweet for food and water, I'd take a phone if there's reception so that someone can rescue me/can talk to me so that I don't go mad, or I'd take music because I honestly can't cope without it!

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
Not particularly.

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
No but I want to go!

50. How did you get your worst scar?
I used to go horse riding every week and I scarred my chin on a fall one day. It's pretty much cleared up now but when it was all scabbed up, it looked like I had a beard and everyone used to tease me haha. Sorry for the TMI!

I hope you enjoyed this and good job if you managed to read through the entire post. Don't forget to leave a comment below with a few facts about yourself!

Monday, 18 May 2015

As you would already know if you read my life update post last week, I've spend the last half a week in Tasmania! One of my best friends from High School goes to University there and so I flew over to visit her. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take my good camera or even my vlogging camera with me but I did however take a few pictures of my trip on my iPhone, that I thought I might share on my blog with you guys :)

Salamanca Markets

These photos were taken at the Salamanca Markets, a popular place for tourists and locals of Hobart to spend their Saturday (as it is only open on Saturday) morning/afternoon.

Pun Party for Med students

As my friend studies Medicine at University, she had a pun themed party for her course on Saturday night. We dressed up as 'Oh Deer' and 'Holy Cow'....and I'm sure you can tell which is which. We had such a good time and I met loads of lovely people! :)

Ps, Can any of you recognise this makeup look? I've done a previous post on it HERE, except I was fake tanned and did it ever so slightly different to this time.

Being couch potato and going home

Because we didn't get home from the pun party until about 4:30am on Sunday, we spent the rest of the day being couch potatoes! We lounged around watching chick flicks and horror movies (which I luckily fell asleep for during the first 15 minutes and was spared the gory details) and eating junk food. My friend's boyfriend also came over and brought his super cute doggy friend, Milly :)

On Monday, my last day in Tasmania, I really only had time to take in the scenery of Hobart and it's beautiful, sunny weather and then head home in the early afternoon.

I'm so glad I made the effort to book some flights and head over to see my friend. Not only was it nice to catch up wither, it also gave me a few days just to relax, forget about any worries and just have a good time. I think it's so healthy to give yourself a break every now and then.

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

So admittedly, this FOTD was one that I photographed a few weeks back but since I've been dog-sitting our new puppy, I haven't been putting a lot of makeup on that you'd find interesting, nor have I had a lot of time to take new photographs. It's times like these that I have to say thank you to my past self for being so organised!

The main focus for this look was the lashes, rosy cheeks and winged liner. Everything else was kept to a minimum (e.g., eyeshadow, bronzer etc.).

Products Used:

- MAC Strobe Cream

- MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation

- NARS Creamy Concealer in "Vanilla" (on blemishes and under the eyes)

- MAC Highlighter Pen in "Radient Rose" (under eyes and a little on the highlighting points of my face)

- NARS Translucent Powder

- Benefit Hoola Bronzer

- Illamasqua Blush in "Katie"

- MAC Highlighter in "Soft&Gentle"

- Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pommade in "Medium Brown"

- Australis Clear Brow Gel

- Lorac Pro Eye Primer

- Lorac Pro Eyeshadow in "Nude" and "Champagne" over the lid, in the tear ducts and on the brow bone, and "Taupe" with a little "Sable" in the crease and under the eyes

- Kat Von D Eyeliner in "Trooper"

- Tweezerman Eyelash Curler

- Eyeko Long Lash Mascara

- Eyelure Katy Perry False Lashes in "Oh Honey"

- Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

- The Body Shop Lip Balm in "Strawberry"

Jumper:

- Boohoo.com

I really liked this face of the day, it was the perfect look for Winter and is totally wearable for during the day.

Sunday, 10 May 2015

So you may or may not be wondering what happened to my 'Thowback Thursday' post I talked about in my previous post and why I haven't posted since. Well, my life has changed a lot since then and definitely for the better....my family adopted a dog from the RSPCA (hence why I've been so preoccupied)! :)

My family and I have been looking to adopt a dog for quite some time now and last week we found the perfect one. His name is Oscar, he's an English Cocker Spaniel and is almost 1 year old (his 1st birthday is on the 12th of May in fact!). Oscar is the baby of a puppy farm rescue and has unfortunately had to spend the first year of his life in the shelters until the RSPCA were given permission to put him into adoption (along with many other cocker spaniels) and so hasn't had the training nor experience that a normal 1 year old dog might have. Because of this, he can be quite timid at times and needs constant treats to reward him for being 'brave' but so far (touch wood) he as adapted to home life extremely well!

Since I feed oscar, take him out for the toilet and have in general just spent a lot of time with him, he's become my little shadow and follows me absolutely everywhere. In fact, as I type this Oscar is snoring on the couch, tucked up beside me. It's really nice to have a little companion (and personal heater) with me all the time and I'm just so over the moon about him being here.

Oscar apparently prefers to sit on top of his crate, rather than inside it. Haha.

My next life update, so to say, is that I'm going to Tasmania this week to visit my best friend who attends University there. It's going to be so much fun and she has loads of things planned for us to do, so I'll be sure to take heaps of photos to share with you on my blog when I get back. Yipee!

Last but not least, I'm thinking of going back to University. Eeep! For those of you who don't already know, I'm currently taking a GAP year (I didn't take one after High School and went straight into my first year of study at University). I found a course that looks extremely interesting to me and am actually thinking of discontinuing my previous course and starting something new. Rather than being nervous or apprehensive of changing my direction, I'm actually very very excited about the prospect!

And on a side note, Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers out there (for yesterday, I know)! I hope you had a wonderful day with your Mum and other loved ones :)

Mother's day brunch that my Brother and I made for Mum

Now that you're updated about the ins and outs of my life, what about yours? Has anything new or exciting taken place in your life recently? Let me know!

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

So as I was going through an old hard drive to find pictures for tomorrow's blog post (it's a Throwback Thursday post, in case you're wondering), I started noticing how much my eyebrows have changed over the years and thought it would be a fun/funny post to show you the evolution of my brows.

When I was little, I had some gorgeous (not meaning to blow my own trumpet), thick eyebrows but as I progressed into my teen years, I plucked my brows to death and had some right old tadpoles! I must have thought, 'hey! I've got brows, I'm old enough....shall I pluck them?'. The answer to my past self would be, NO! No you definitely should not pluck them!

You then get to photos of my brows last year where they're getting there but are still a little tadpole like compared to my natural brows. And last but not least, you get to pictures of my brows today (count how many times I say brows haha); left alone, getting much better but still a little growing left to do before I get them professionally (emphasis on professionally) shaped.

So now that you have a little back history on my eyebrows, here are the pictures..

*WARNING*

Be prepared for some incredibly cringe worthy photographs! ;)

Probably about 7-9 years old (and already taking selfies haha)

Year 7 with Mum (12/13 years old)

*Sigh*, can we just appreciate my pre-hormonal, clear skin for a moment?

My best friend and I on Halloween (around 13/14 years old)

Year 8 (14 years old) and the plucking begins....

....and it gets worse...

....AND EVEN WORSE....

15/16 years old (still looking like tadpoles)

Year 11 (16/17 years old) and getting slightly better

Year 12 (18 years old). At least I knew how to fill them in at this stage....

First year of Uni (19 years old/last year). Look at how much they change shape, put the tweezers down Issy!!

This year (19 turning 20). Still a long way to go but getting there! YAY!

So as you can see, I really needed to listen to my constantly nagging mother dearest and put the tweezers down. If you too are guilty of over-plucking your eyebrows at the moment or in the past, share your stories below! I'd love to hear from you :)

Monday, 4 May 2015

So the other day I was out at a cafe called 'Like Minded Projects' and I had the most delicious AND healthy ice-cream cookie sandwich (at least I think it was a semi-healthy dessert). So good in fact that I've had to blog about it :)

I've never really posted about food or places that I eat out at in Melbourne and I think it's about time I did, considering I eat out far more than I really should! So here's my first foodie post and what a scrumptious one to start on.

Vegan, berry ice-cream between a PB&J cookie and an apple crumble cookie

'Like Minded Projects' is located on Smith St, Fiztroy and is a healthy cafe that is completely gluten-free and for the majority, vegan. They not only do coffee and other beverages but they also do breakfast, lunch and other yummy snacks that I desperately want to try. I saw a picture of this cookie sandwich on instagram and so obviously that's what I had to try first (not wanting to be left out and all) and will definitely buy it again!

I ordered the peanut butter and jelly cookie and apple crumble cookie with berry ice-cream in the middle. The berry ice-cream was so delicious and would definitely recommend this option, however next time I'll probably just get two apple crumble cookies as I'm not a huge nut fan and I didn't enjoy the heavy peanut taste in the peanut butter and jelly cookie (I like peanut butter, just not plain nuts which is what this cookie tasted like).

If you happen to be around the area or are looking for a new cafe to eat at, give this one a shot! I for sure am going back to try out more of the menu :)

Sunday, 3 May 2015

I bought this palette last year and have only recently realised my love for it. There's not one shade that I don't use and I find the compact packaging, mirror and natural shades so handy and convenient for all occasions. Good job Too Faced.

2. BabyBliss Argan Oil Restorative Hair Mask

I have the thickest, frizziest, dry hair you could possibly imagine and I LOVE this hair mask. It's cheap ($12.50 from beautybay.com) and works better than any other expensive hair mask that I've tried in terms of restoring strength, shine, hydration and life back into my hair. There's no point in spending loads on a hair mask guys, believe me.

3. MAC Highlighter Pen in "Radient Rose"

I've been really into highlighting pens as of late (I'm talking major eye bags) and reached for this one by MAC a lot throughout the month of April. Super effective in cancelling out dark under eye circles and making you look more awake. I also use this product on the other highlighting points of my face and find it blends very easily into my foundation when using a finger or a beauty blender :)

4. The Body Shop Lip Balm in "Strawberry"

Honestly guys, this lip balm smells so delicious and I have to say, tastes pretty good also *mischievously giggles*. It moisturises my lips very well but the real reason I love it so much and have been using it a lot throughout April is because the slight tint of the balm gives my lips a gorgeous, healthy look. If you'd like to see what it looks like on, I've used it in a previous FOTD blog post HERE.

5. Australis Clear Brow Gel

This product is for your lashes AND brows but I just use it in my brows and I love it. It does everything a good clear brow gel should do and at only $10.95, you really can't go wrong.

6. Alpha H Liquid Gold

Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea what the heck this product was. As I was browsing the web for a new skincare routine (my skin was going mental at the time), I came across Alpha H products and found pages and pages of reviews saying that this Liquid Gold is amazing and I believe it also won an award. Clearly it doesn't take me much to get sucked into buying a new product but boy am I happy that I was.

If I'm entirely honest, I still don't quite get what it is but I've been using it every second night on my face by applying a little (you need the smallest amount) onto a cotton pad and wiping it over my face before moisturising and when I wake up in the morning, my skin is as smooth as ever and just way more clear, even toned and healthy looking. It does tingle a little when you first apply it but that goes away quickly and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to do that (haha, I hope so anyway because I don't plan to stop using this product any time soon).

7. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in "Ivory"

This foundation has been sitting amongst my makeup collection for awhile now but I've never really used it until now. I've been loving this foundation mainly because it's getting into the colder months in Australia and I find the formula to hydrate and illuminate my increasingly dryer, more dull looking skin. This foundation and I are a match made in heaven ;)

8. MAC Strobe Cream

For the same reasons as using the foundation, I've been loving this strobe cream because it's super hydrating and the light reflecting particles really illuminate my skin to make it look like better looking skin. I've previously done a review on this product which you can read HERE.

9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthor Golden

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. The style of writing is like nothing I've really ever read before and opened my mind up to a whole new world that I never knew existed. Truly incredible and 100% worth a read.